The invention relates to a flooring panel or wall panel as set forth in the preamble of claim 1.
In recent years laminated floor finishes have become increasingly popular in replacing parquet floors and wall-to-wall carpeting. In the production of laminated floor finishes a decorative thermosetting laminate is first produced. This laminate usually consists of a base layer of paper sheets, impregnated with phenol-formaldehyde resin, and a decorative surface layer comprising a decor paper sheet impregnated with melamine formaldehyde resin. The laminate is produced by compressing the various layers at a high pressure and an elevated temperature. The laminate thus obtained may then be bonded to a backing, for example of particle board, or used as such without a backing, it then be termed a compact laminate. The resulting laminated panel of large surface area is then sawn up into a number of floor boards each provided with tongues and grooves at their long and short sides. These floor boards may differ in thickness and size, they more particularly being square or rectangular. A popular length is 120 cm, and a popular with is approx. 20 cm. Such laminated floor finishes may also be used to top existing floor material.
In laying such a floor finish an adhesive cement is usually applied to the groove when the floor boards are assembled. This makes it difficult to replace a board when damaged or to remove the complete floor finish and, for example, reinstalling it in another room.
DE 42 42 530 A1 describes a building element for walls or building floors and roofing which comprises at its longitudinal edge a tongue-like element and the opposing longitudinal edge a groove-like molding. The tongue-like element is configured strongly rounded suitable for insertion by jiggling it into the groove-like opening. Provided on one side of the tongue-like element are two ribs suitable for snap-action jointing a single groove of an adjoining building element. As it reads from this disclosure, however, a certain clearance needs to remain, thus resulting in this building element not at all being suitable for floor or wall finishes which for a pleasing appearance need to be joined free of clearance and accordingly with no gaps.
A wall panel or flooring panel as it reads from the preamble of claim 1 is known from WO 96/27721 of the present applicant. The flooring panel described therein comprises a tongue cooperating with a groove in an adjoining panel, the tongue comprising at least one snap-action means in the form of a rib oriented parallel to the edge of the panel. Configured in the groove at suitable locations for cooperating with the ribs of the tongue is a retaining or snap-action groove. It is these snap-action means that enable two adjoining panels to be joined without needing to use an adhesive cement. The one panel with its tongue is inserted into the groove of the adjoining panel, the so-called cheeks defining the groove deforming at least temporarily to permit entry of the rib formed on the tongue and regaining their original shape as soon as each rib has snapped into the corresponding groove. Experience has shown that although such flooring or wall panels permit reliable joining and placement without requiring an adhesive cement there is room for improvement in facilitating laying and the strength in joining the panels to each other.
The invention is based on the object of providing a flooring panel or wall panel in which the snap-action or locking means are improved to facilitate laying and joining the panels whilst always attaining and maintaining a firm joint between adjoining panels.
This object is achieved by the flooring panel or wall panel as set forth in claim 1.
In accordance therewith the tongue of the panel in accordance with the invention too is provided with locking means. Provided at the opposite side of the panel is a groove into which the tongue of a panel is insertable when two adjoining panels are joined together. The tongue and the groove each comprise complementary snap-action or locking means. In this arrangement it is conceivable that both the tongue and the groove feature snap-action means in the form of ribs. The corresponding other element, i.e. either the tongue or the groove comprises a complementary snap-action means, i.e. a groove configured at a suitable location for each rib provided. As will be detailed later it is preferably within the scope of the invention that the tongue is provided with ribs. More particularly in a preferred embodiment ribs are configured on both the upper and lower side of the tongue, although it is just as conceivable to provide only one of these sides with a rib and the other side of the tongue with a groove. Likewise basically conceivable is to configure a groove on both the upper and lower side of the tongue.
In any case, however, both the upper and lower side of the tongue is provided with a locking means for a flooring panel or wall panel in accordance with the invention, locking means being provided correspondingly on the surface area defining the tongue both upper and lower. In accordance with the invention an additional surface portion formed as a step or bevel is provided on the surface area of the upper and/or lower cheek of the groove facing the groove. It is this aspect that facilitates producing the joint since when inserting the tongue, shifting it in the insertion direction requires little exertion force or may even require none at all. Insertion direction in this context is understood to be the direction in which the tongue is inserted into the groove to join two adjoining panels to each other. The insertion direction thus extends perpendicular to the edge as observed of the panel.
The advantage of the step or bevel in accordance with the invention is that it counteracts any undesirable tendency of the tongue to slip out of place on insertion. When joining the two panels the panel to be added new to the already existing flooring or wall section is first applied with the groove at an angle to the tongue of the desired jointing location and tilted downwards whilst simultaneously exerting pressure on the panel to be added in the insertion direction. Due to the angled surfaces of the tongue and of the surfaces of the groove shaped angled thereto it may often occur that the tongue slips out of place from the groove because of insufficient force being exterted in the insertion direction. This is prevented by a step or bevel in accordance with the invention on one or both cheeks of the grooves since this prevents the tongue from slipping out of place from the groove contrary to the insertion direction either due to a positive connection with the tongue or facilitates the movement of the tongue in the insertion direction into the groove by providing a surface inclined inwards. When bevels widening the groove are provided on one or both cheeks of the groove in the insertion direction it is now possible to join the panels without needing to apply any pressure at all in the insertion direction, i.e. simply jiggling the panel to be joined to an already existing flooring or wall section may be sufficient so that by the effect of the bevel(s) the tongue will always work its way into the groove until the snap-action means is activated.
Preferred further embodiments of the panel in accordance with the invention read from the sub-claims.
Although a panel in accordance with the invention is conceivable in the form of a triangle with a groove or tongue configured on each side, the panel in accordance with the invention preferably has four sides and is more particularly rectangular or square. In this case two sides of the panel comprise tongues and two sides of the panel comprise grooves. It is understood that, as preferred, the panels may be configured identical and can be joined to each other in this way when the opposite side in each case is provided tongued and grooved so that two adjoining sides, in the case of a rectangular panel a short and a long side, are provided with tongues, and the two other sides with the complementary configured grooves.
As already mentioned it is preferred in accordance with the invention that the tongue comprises as a locking means at least one protuberance, more particularly a rib and that the locking means cooperating therewith in the groove are recesses, more particularly snap-action or locking grooves.
In accordance with one preferred embodiment of the invention the snap-action means are arranged staggered in the insertion direction. Staggering in the insertion direction means that one of the locking means is configured more distant from the edge of the panel than the other, in other words one of the locking means extends parallel to the edge of the panel at a greater distance away from this edge than the other locking means.
The advantage of a firm joint is likewise achieved with the preferred embodiment in which the tongue comprises at the upper side a protuberance, preferably a rib and at the lower side two protuberances or ribs, and the groove is provided with corresponding snap-action grooves.
Tests show that configuring the locking contours in accordance with the invention facilitates laying the flooring panels, more particularly in facilitating joining two adjoining flooring panels, it also having been found out that the joint thus resulting between two adjoining panels is extremely firm. The reason for this could be that due to the stagger, any movement of the two flooring panels joined together relative to each other is made difficult. When the locking means of both sides are located precisely opposite each other, tilting the two flooring panels is easier possible when the locking means are staggered relative to each other and any movement xe2x80x9caboutxe2x80x9d the one locking element by the other locking element is obstructed.
Preferably the additional surface portion is a bevel, the inclination of which is configured so that the groove is flared portionwise in the insertion direction. This arrangement promotes the tendency of the tongue to slip into the groove or to automatically xe2x80x9cworkxe2x80x9d its way it groove when the two panels to be joined together are jiggled.
Experience has shown it to be particularly of advantage to configure the inclination of the bevel(s) in the range 50xc2x0 to 20xc2x0 to the upper surface area of the panel and thus when laying the panels on a flat floor surface area the bevels are inclined at an angle in the range 5xc2x0 to 20xc2x0 to the horizontal.
Damage to the cheeks defining the groove can be prevented when their edges end substantially at the same location, i.e. when in other words the edge of the upper cheek of the groove or lip is arranged substantially exactly over the edge of the lower cheek of the groove or lip.
It is good practice to configure the locking contours which are particularly prone to damage, so that the recess or groove in the lower cheek of the groove or lip is arranged at a location which is totally distal within the distal edge of the upper lip or cheek of the groove.
In certain applications, however, the lower cheek of the groove or lip preferably protrudes distally beyond the distal edge of the upper cheek of the groove or lip.
However, in this case too, it is good practice when the recess or groove in the lower cheek of the groove or lip is provided at a location totally, or at least substantially, within the distal edge of the upper lip or cheek of the groove.
Another preferred embodiment which experience has shown to be of advantage as regards the strength of the joint consists of the edge of the upper cheek of the groove being located substantially precisely above the edge of the lower cheek of the groove, the tongue being provided at both its upper side and lower side with a protuberance and the recess in the lower cheek of the groove being provided at a location which is totally within the distal edge of the upper cheek of the groove.
In the same way another embodiment is of advantage in which the edge of the lower cheek of the groove protrudes distally beyond the distal edge of the upper cheek of the groove, the tongue being provided on both its upper and lower side with a protuberance and the recess being provided in the lower cheek of the groove at a location which is totally, or at least partly, on the other side of the distal edge of the upper cheek of the groove.
As an alternative a firm joint is also obtainablexe2x80x94in the same case as described abovexe2x80x94by providing the recess in the lower cheek of the groove at a location which is totally, or substantially totally, within the distal edge of the upper cheek of the groove.
For the materials of the flooring panel a structure comprising a base layer of particle board, medium or high density fiber board or plastics topped by a decor finish of paint or a thermoplastics, veneer or one or more sheets of paper impregnated with a thermosetting resin or laminate is of particular advantage.
For particularly cost-effective production of the panel in accordance with the invention it is good practice to configure the tongue and the groove as well as the snap-action means integrally with the base layer, in other words to mill the locking contours from the base layer.
When used in wet rooms it is good practice to configure the side edges comprising the tongue and groove water-tight.
For this purpose it is good practice to treat the base layer of the panel in accordance with the invention such that its resistance to water is enhanced.
More particularly, good performance of this embodiment is achievable by impregnating or coating the complete base layer or at least the side edges of the panel with a wax, an oil or a resin.
For a simple joint of two adjoining panels it is good practice to configure a front surface area of the tongue with its lower side tapered which may also be provided supplementary for the upper edge of the tongue.
One particularly advantageous feature applicable to the flooring panel or wall panel in accordance with the invention consists of the lower cheek of the groove being thinner than its upper cheek so that the lower cheek is more pliant than the upper cheek and is deformed to a greater extent than the upper cheek of the groove when joining two adjoining panels. Preferably the upper cheek of the groove should not deform at all to eliminate the risk of steps forming when joining the panels together. Instead only the lower cheek of the groove should slightly deform on joining before snapping back into place for a secure lock. The comparitively thick and thus comparatively stiff upper cheek of the groove or lip also contributes towards maintaining the floor surface area flat once the panels have been joined and when accessed.
In conclusion it has found to be particularly of advantage in this case to configure the lower lip or cheek of the groove 50% to 90%, preferably 60% to 85% as thick as the upper cheek of the groove.